Watch Coldplay Get ‘Magic-al’ in New Music Video

Some have called Coldplay’s new single “Magic” a return to its early-aughts form, so it makes a tiny lick of sense that the band is also going back in time for the music video for the song. Though we’re not talking a decade in the past; rather, nearly a century.

After a ragtime intro featuring a quick credit roll and a summary of the players – including Cecile, a “beautiful young magicienne,” and fellow magician and husband Claude, “famous but drunk” – the clip unfolds into a black-and-white account of said magicians’ routine, including a death-defying stunt featuring a spinning wheel and tossed daggers.

Frontman Chris Martin plays Christophe, a young assistant to Cecile, who’s portrayed by actress Ziyi Zhang (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). Claude soon becomes jealous of the duo’s chemistry, while Christophe continues to perfect his craft – even managing levitation. Soon he becomes fed up with Claude and his constant beating of Cecile and challenges him to a duel, wherein his tools of the trade are put to good use.